Folding chair



March 17, 1959 M. FERAR ET AL 2,877,829

FOLDING CHAIR Filed Feb. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS'.

TToRMEK MQ/ITGOMERY Feline. Y 19 5445 6425M March 17, 1959 M. FERAR ETAL FOLDING CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1955 RU M w w \2 M M M k 9? 0 '6 Tpk Ne E V 5 W2 M Z n; 7 N M Z B YZZ United States Patent() FOLDING CHAIR Application February 10, 1955, Serial No. 487,257

1 Claim. (Cl. 155-142) This invention relates to a folding chair construction, and more particularly to a seat assembly therefor and a novel back rest construction.

It is the object of the present invention to incorporate within a conventional type of armless folding chair construction a novel seat assembly which includes a continuous hollow tubular frame which is foldably positioned between the respective pairs of legs of the chair and pivotally connected therewith.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a novel seat platform mounting upon the tubular seat frame. ,7

It is the further object of the present invention to pro vide a novel back rest construction which consists of a back rest body which is positioned within the upper portion of the chair frame and spaced inwardly thereof and below the top thereof by a series of wire supports.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claim in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the present chair.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claim hereafter set forth.

Certain portions of the present chair construction are conventional. For example, the formation of the front legs, the rear legs, the linkage between the legs and generally, the pivotal mounting between the pairs of legs of a seat construction.

The primary invention relates to a folding chair construction which incorporates therein a novel seat assembly and also a novel back rest construction.

The present chair includes an inverted U-shaped frame 11 which is of a tubular construction thereby defining the spaced front legs 12 upon the lower ends of which are mounted the caps 13 carrying the rubber feet or supports 14, said front legs being reinforced by cross bar 15.

The base portion of a U-shaped frame as at 16 defines the top portion of the said chair frame adjacent to which the back rest construction 40 is arranged in the manner hereafter described.

There is also provided in a conventional manner a pair of rear legs 17 with reinforcing cross bar 18, which legs also terminate in the cylindrical caps 13 at their lower ends carrying the rubber feet 14. Formed rubber bumpers 19 are carried at the upper ends of tubular rear legs 17 and are adapted to supportably engage rear wall portions of chair frame 11 which corresponds to the legs 12. Each of the rear legs 17 lie in the plane of the corresponding front leg and are inclined at an acute angle thereto.

A seat assembly generally indicated at 33 is positioned between front legs 12 centrally of the side walls of said seat assembly and pivotally supported upon said front legs and joined thereto as by the pivots 24.

The seat frame includes a hollow continuous tubular frame 20 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, wherein the outer surface of said frame is convex as at 21 and terminates in the upper and lower arcuate marginal edges 22 which have a smaller radius than the corresponding curved portion 21. Frame 20 also includes an upright interior wall formation 23 to thereby complete the tubular seat frame construction.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention this frame is substantially rectangular in shape and is hollow as shown. Said frame 20, upon its opposite sides and intermediate its front and rear edges, is pivotally mounted upon front legs 12 by the pivot pins 24.

Brackets 27 are mounted upon interior wall portions of rear legs 17 and secured thereto as at 28. Side wall portions of seat frame 20 adjacent its rear edge are pivotally joined to brackets 27 as by the pivot elements or pintles 29. Accordingly, the seat frame 20 is pivotally connected at its side centrally to front legs 12 and pivotally and fixedly connected adjacent its rear portion to the rear legs 17 and adjacent the upper ends of said rear legs.

The upper ends of the rear legs above the pivotal connection 29 with said seat assembly are free floating and are adapted to loosely engage as at 19 rear surface p'ortions of frame 11.

The links 30 pivotally interconnect corresponding front and rear legs, being pivotally joined at 31 to a rear leg and pivotally connected at 32 to the corresponding front leg to thereby complete the folding structure for the said chair.

The aforementioned seat assembly 33 includes a padding 34 which is suitably covered and which is resilient to the extent desired and which is mounted upon and secured to a rectangularly shaped seat platform 35, which is preferably constructed of wood.

This support 35 is centered upon tubular frame 20 and rests upon the upper arcuate edgs thereof as at 22, Fig. 4.

A series of right angular fasteners 36 are secured to the under surface of support 35 throughout and adjacent peripheral portions thereof as by the fasteners or screws 37 The depending plates 38 forming a part of said fasteners cooperatively engage the upright interior wall portions 23 of the tubular frame 20 throughout spaced portions of its internal periphery and are secured thereto by a series of sheet metal screws 39. These screws extend through transverse apertures formed in fastener plates 38 and through corresponding openings formed in interior upright wall portion 23 of the tubular frame.

Upon assembly, the transverse apertures are pre formed in longitudinally spaced relation within the interior wall portions 23 of the seat frame. The seat assembly 33 is also preformed with the fasteners 36-38 secured thereto by the screws 37. For assembly, the seat assembly construction is centered above the tubular and continuous seat frame 20 and dropped down thereon with the said depending plate elements 38 cooperatively engaging interior wall portions of the said seat frame for centering the assembly with respect thereto. Thereafter and for final assembly the sheet metal screws 39 are introduced as shown.

A back rest assembly is generally indicated at 40 in Fig. 2, which back rest is positioned inwardly of tubular frame 11 and spaced downwardly from the top portion 16 thereof.

The back rest assembly includes a rectangularly shaped body 42 which is yielding and resilient to the extent desired and which is bounded by and secured to the hollow generally rectangular frame 25. The back rest assembly 40 is supported within frame 1116 by a series of wire support elements 43, which in the preferred embodiment are of substantially L-shape and which are arranged in opposed relation. The wire support elements 43 are secured to back rest frame 25 at the points 44 and 45, respectively, as by welding, and the respective free ends of the wire support elements are joined to portions of the chair frame 11-16.

Each of the wire support elements 43 include upright members 46, as shown in Fig. 1, which at their lower ends are bent inwardly as at 26 and terminate in the end portions 47 which project into corresponding openings formed in the back surface of frame 11 and are suitably secured thereto as by welding. Said wire frame elements at their upper ends have angularly related formed portions 48 which extend through corresponding apertures formed in the interior wall of frame element 16 and are suitably secured thereto as at 49 to thereby complete the back rest construction.

Thus there is provided a novel back rest assembly which includes a resilient element 42 and a supporting frame 25 which is suspended within frame 11 inwardly thereof and spaced downwardly from the top portion 16.

Having described our invention, reference should now be had to the claim which follows for determining the scope thereof.

We claim:

In a folding chair including an inverted U-shaped frame defining a pair of front legs, and a pair of rear legs, each lying in the plane of a corresponding front leg, engaging at their upper ends said front legs and inclined at an acute angle thereto; a formed back rest bridging the upper portion of said frame, said back rest including a rectangular supporting body spaced an appreciable distance inwardly of said U-shaped frame and below its top, and a pair of upright oppositely arranged L-shaped wire supports secured to rear portions of said body adjacent its opposite sides, the respective free ends of said supports being joined to the top and sides respectively of said U-shaped frame and providing the sole attaching means for said back rest, and a seat assembly including a hollow, continuous, one piece tubular frame of substantially rectangular shape positioned between said pair of legs, said tubular frame being pivotally connected at its sides centrally to said front legs and pivotally connected adjacent its rear edge to said rear legs, and links pivotally interconnecting corresponding front and rear legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 894,020 Levick July 21, 1908 1,730,916 Cable Oct. 8, 1929 1,842,793 Marson Jan. 26, 1932 2,103,874 Shwayder Dec. 28, 1937 2,233,749 Salomon Mar. 4. 1941 2,440,470 Greitzer Apr. 27, 1948 2,703,604 Becker Mar. 8, 1955 2,706,519 Kranz Apr. 19, 1955 2,727,564 Gruber Dec. 20, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 187,737 Germany Aug. 2, 1907 

